Bronny James intends to return to practice and play for USC this season if he passes a medical examination later this month.

Bronny suffered cardiac arrest during a team workout in July and underwent successful surgery to repair what the James family referred to as a likely congenital heart defect.

"Things are going in the right direction with Bronny's progress," James said. "He's doing rehab. Every week he gets to do more and more and more. We have a big moment at the end of this month to see if we can continue to go forward. If he's cleared, we'll be not too long away from him being back on the floor and back with his teammates and practicing, with the notion of being back on the floor and playing in game situations."

Before the heart issue, James was a projected first round pick in the 2024 NBA draft.